INTERPRETATION OF THE BOOK OF GENESIS BY FATHER TADROS Y. MALATY Translated by Dr. George Botros 2 3 4 AUTHOR’ S NOTE: The Word of God is the food granted by the Holy Spirit to the Church of Christ, to let her live continually renovated in spiritual youth; practicing no incapacity of old age or perishability. My good Lord gave me the grace, during the last few years, to study the Word of God, as experienced by the fathers of the early Church, as Spirit and Life. I began by going through meditations and interpretations of these fathers, in the hope that we also would live with the Spirit and thought of the early Church; enjoying, by the Holy Spirit, the Word of God active in us, until it raises us up to our heavenly Groom “The divine Word”, who is to come on the clouds, to grant us the fellowship of His glories, and to enter with us into the bosom of His Father, to be eternally with Him in His heavens. If I did not commit myself, in my interpretation, to the order of succession of the books as they come in the Holy Bible; My goal was not to author a comprehensive series of interpretations, but to enter with every soul into the secret place of the Word, and to enjoy Him as an eternal Groom, who fills the heart and mind and all the inner depths. Hegomen Tadros Y. Malaty 5 AN INTRODUCTORY STUDY: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE PENTATEUCH OR THE FIRST FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES 1- Unity of the five books. 2- The prophet Moses and the five books. 3- Contents of the five books. * Some readers may consider this chapter, because of its academic nature, as hard to comprehend; I would rather advise them to skip: if they so prefer. 6 - 1 - UNITY OF THE FIVE BOOKS Nomenclatures: The first five books of the Old Testament, are called in Greek: “The Pentateuch”; namely (The five books) a name used in Christianity since early times. Certain scholars tried to bind the first four books together in one unit, under the name of “The Tetrateuch”; considering the book of ‘Deuteronomy’, as a sort of introduction to the history of Israel, from its beginning up to their initial entry into the promised land; While certain others added the ‘Book of Joshua’ to the first five books, to form a six-books unit they called, “The Hexateuch”. Still others tried, sometimes, to bind the first eight books in a unit they called “The Octateuch”, to include the historical period up to the beginning of the era of kings. Yet, the traditional Jewish thought still prevails, among their scholars, in binding the first five books, as a historical basis over which the people of God were established. This unity was also recognized by the Jews; The Holy Book in Hebrew is divided into three units: (1) The Law, or “The Torah”: including the first five books of Moses. (2) The prophets: embracing early prophets and later prophets. The first division includes Joshua, the Judges, up till the kings; while the second division includes Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the twelve ‘lesser’ prophets. (3) The “Ketohim”, divided in its turn into three divisions: Poetical books (including the Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther); and historical non-prophetical books (including Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles). By that, the five books of Moses appear as one unit under the name of “The Law”; although they carried other different names, mentioned in the two Testaments, including: * The Torah; Statutes or the Law (Joshua 1: 7; Matthew 5: 17; 12: 5). * The Statutes, or the book of the Law (Joshua 1: 8; Galatians 3: 10). * The book of the Law of Moses (Joshua 8: 31). * The book of the Statutes of God (Joshua 24: 26). * The book of Moses (2 Chronicles 25: 4; Mark 12: 26). 7 * The Law (Statutes) of the Lord (2 Chronicles 31: 3; Luke 2: 23). * The Statutes of Moses (1 Kings 2: 3; Ezra 7: 6; Luke 2: 22). A Historical unity: These books represent a well connected historical unity; that begins by the creation of world for the sake of man; then the creation of man himself. And when man fell down, God provided him with salvation, electing for him the early fathers: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In Egypt the first seed of the people, whom God set to be realized through it, and through humanity as a whole. Then Moses was chosen as the first leader of that people, to save it from servitude of Pharaoh, and to enjoy, through him, the convention on the Mount of Sinai. Finally, on the eastern shore of the river Jordan, he delivered them to the hands of a new leader -- Joshua; as though, by the Law, he is delivering us to ‘Jesus’ the leader of life, and the giver of inheritance. Thus, these books realize an important integral era of the life of humanity, as far as its relationship with God is concerned; and represent an important role lived by man, in which he feels God’s care for his salvation. It is to be noticed that history in these books intermingles with faith; No separation between historical events and the dogma of faith. Between history and faith in Judaism and Christianity: In all the old nations, history has been connected to religion: Religion used to represent an essential part in all sides of their daily familial, and economic life, together with their political activities. Despite that, history, influenced by dogma, does not represent a part of it. As for the Jews, there is no separation between history and faith; History is not only influenced by dogma, but represents an integral part of their dogma. In other words, the theological view of history is connected with the theological view of the dogma. The history of this people, represents an integral part of the Word of God, and represents an exalted divine ordainment for the salvation of humanity as a whole. History began by the creation of man, in his capacity as God’s ambassador on earth, given authority over every thing, on and beneath earth, in the depths of the seas, in air, and even in space. He has no master, but he is the master of all earthly creation. History came proclaiming God’s choice of the Patriarch fathers: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, in whose actions and work, God proclaims Himself; And in our Christian concept, their life carries numerous symbols for the coming of the Lord Christ, as a Redeemer and Savior. In that history, we, the Christians, do not see something past begone; but, rather a divine preparation for the ordainment of our salvation; and uncountable symbols of God’s work for us, up to this very day. It is not a history according to its general scientific concept; but it presents us with the secret of our relationship with God, with our comprehension of His secrets; and with a recognition of His heavenly wisdom toward us. It is a current history that carries the strength 8 of life, through our encounter with the Lord Christ, whom that history proclaimed, and for whose coming it prepared. The secret of unity between these five books: R. De Vaux believes in four golden threads that binds together these five books in an integral unity’ These threads are: The Oath; the choice; the covenants; and the Statutes. 1- The divine Oath: The main issue of these books is the confirmation of God’s Oath to man; that was especially demonstrated with Abraham, who became a father of all believers. In him we see the divine Oath for the salvation of Adam and his children, renovated along the successive generations. Indeed, the people of Israel, at its beginning, was not one with a prominent civilized culture, if compared to peoples around them, like the Egyptians and the Babylonians; Yet, they enjoyed getting the divine promise, through their wandering Patriarch fathers; and through that Oath, the existence of the Israeli people was set. 2- The Choice: the divine Oath was demonstrated in choosing Adam as the sole master of the whole earth;; the Patriarch fathers, as men of God; nor the people, as a holy nation, for no credit on their parts. But it was because of God’s love, and of His Oath which He swore to their fathers (Deuteronomy 7: 8). Therefore God is credited these choices with no partiality on the expense of the holy life. 3- The Covenants: Covenants were of great importance in eastern societies; as for example the covenant between Abraham and Abimelech (Gen. 21: 23); between Jacob and his father-in-law (Gen. 31: 44); and that, between David and Jonathan (1 Samuel 23: 28).In the first five books, God’s appreciation for man is demonstrated; exalting his value, and entering with him into successive covenants. He entered with Adam in a covenant, that was not directly proclaimed. Adam, in the paradise, was expected to acknowledge God’s love for him and pay Him back, love for love.; but he rebelled against him, disfiguring the covenant. God, again, renewed His covenant with ‘Noah’, after renovating the earth through the water of (Baptism), and set its sign in nature -- a rainbow in the clouds (Gen. 9). As man still, did not apprehend the concepts of that covenant, he set for it a sign in the body of every male -- the circumcision. Finally, at the Mount of Sinai, God set His covenant with His people (Exodus 19), which He sealed with the blood of the animal sacrifices, in a reference to the covenant sealed by the Father, on the cross, with the blood of His beloved Son ! This is the thread of love that bound the five books together, to enter with us into the New Testament.